Over the past two years, this tattoo has been one of the first things someone sees when they meet me. For some, it is the distinctly memorable aspect of me that they remember. As anyone who has one or more tattoos can attest to, the question I am often asked upon first sight of my tattoo is: “Why did you get that?”

On the day that I got “work harder” tattooed on my wrist, my life was at a crossroads. Two months prior, I quit a job I wasn’t passionate about to work full-time on a side project of mine called Doorport. In the week prior to getting my tattoo, I called off what likely would have been a disastrous deal with a potential investor, leaving me with 4 months of money in the bank and an entirely uncertain future ahead.

The question of what to do next (either pursue Doorport full-time for 4 months or find work elsewhere) wasn’t a question of what I wanted to do — it wasn’t even a question of who I wanted to be. It was a question of whether or not I would accept who I knew I had to be.

I knew early on in college that I wanted to start my own company when the time was right. Every job I had before and during college taught me that I hungered for something insanely challenging; something that would push me to the mental and emotional limits of what I knew I was capable of. Every opportunity I had to build something completely new from scratch — moments where I had to learn a new programming language, design a new type of interface, or navigate an interpersonal situation I had not previously encountered — proved to me that I had to pursue building something new as my full-time career after college. For me, the difference between working and working on something I truly loved was night and day. For years in college, I craved the moment when I could devote my life to the building something that I could fully define and that could subsequently define me — and in 2016, I knew that Doorport would give me this moment.

Walking into the tattoo shop on December 21st, 2016, I had a flurry of thoughts rush through my mind. What if Doorport fails? What if I don’t want my work to define me someday? What if I’m wrong about myself entirely?

Getting “work harder” tattooed on my wrist was me accepting and embracing these fundamental aspects of my identity: that I am deeply passionate with what I do; that I will persist with what I pursue; and that I crave being surrounded by people who share that same level of passion and persistence. Getting “work harder” tattooed on my wrist was me accepting that I could never again bury these truths about myself — it would from now on be out in the open every day for everyone to see.

It’s been more than two years since I got my tattoo, and I haven’t regretted it for a moment. I admittedly hid it at times for the first 6 months, as I soon realized how strongly it polarized certain people — but I now openly display it so much that I rarely wear a watch or anything else that would cover it. I’ve accepted this part of my identity to the extent that I quite literally wear it on my sleeve.

My decision on December 21st, 2016 started a revolution in my life. It sparked the boldness I’ve needed to live life without worry of how others might view my success or failure. It has led me on a journey of self-discovery — learning to accept other aspects of my identity knowing that others may not accept me for those things.

Regardless of whether or not you’re ready to commit to a wrist tattoo, I urge you to work towards openly accepting your identity and embracing who you know you have to be — I promise you won’t regret it.

P.S.: this blog is my first step towards publicly accepting both my love of writing and my desire to become a great writer. Here’s to the first post of many!